Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts - by Jane Yolen (Paperback)

About the Book

Following in the kitchen footsteps of their earlier Fairy Tale Feasts for young readers and eaters, author Jane Yolen retells some fun Jewish folktales and Heidi Stemple writes delicious Jewish recipes to accompany them. Yolen is the storyteller; Stemple the chef. Readers of all ages will love this richly illustrated book. (cover verso).

Book Synopsis

Master storyteller Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple have teamed up to bring the magic of their acclaimed Fairy Tale Feasts to the time-honored and delicious traditions of Jewish storytelling and cuisine.

Here you'll find Yolen's dynamic, enchanting retellings of Jewish tales from around the world paired with Stemple's recipes- for everything from challah to matzo brei to pomegranate couscous, tzimmes chicken, and rugelah, in creative versions of classic dishes that any family will delight in cooking together. And Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts is filled with fun facts and anecdotes, about the creation of the stories and the history of the dishes, designed to encourage future cooks and storytellers to make up their own versions. Readers of all ages will learn about Jewish folktales, culture, and cooking, all the while captivated by the humor and wisdom of these enduring stories (and ready to eat!).

Review Quotes

"'A fun book for family sharing' is the description on the back cover... and, looking through the book, it really is! The book, which features Jewish folktales paired with a corresponding recipe and beautiful illustrations, is intended for children ages 5-11, but it crosses generations in a way that is unusual -- both the stories and the recipes will appeal to adults and kids equally."

"A spin-off of Fairy Tale Feasts... this time featuring 18 Jewish folktales with related kid-friendly recipes... Fun Jewish sayings are sprinkled in, and Shefrin's textured, collage illustrations add flavor and spice. Meticulous source notes for the retellings and detailed marginalia for each recipe are included... While these stories and recipes can be used independent of each other in classroom and library settings, families will want to pore over them, savor them, and enjoy them to the fullest."

"Jane Yolen's gift is to inspire children with stories that are intimately connected with the foods they eat. Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook is a perfect example. It marries carefully chosen stories with commentary (for parents) and recipes to share together... Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts is a lovely book for the Jewish holidays -- or any time of year. It will encourage children to read, to cook, and to enjoy their meals."

"Renowned storyteller Jane Yolen and daughter Heidi E.Y. Stemple are making magic again. They've written another cookbook for kids, and it's delightful. The authors have designed the book to appeal to all ages for, as they note, recipes and folk tales have always been adaptable. Recipes get tweaked by cooks to suit their taste buds, skills and budgets. So do stories, whether the listener is a toddler or teenager."

"These 18 stories reflect a wide representation of Jewish beliefs and oral history, springing not just from Eastern European Yiddish-speaking lands, but also from the Middle East... Yolen carefully documents her research and her rationale for retelling each chosen tale... collage art and paint creates bold, almost abstract figures"kid friendly... valuable as an entree to Jewish literature"the recipes are a nice bonus."

"With plentiful illustrations by Sima Elizabeth Shefrin, the book is colorful and appealing. Yolen retells folk tales -- stories that beg to be read aloud -- using food as a bridge between the everyday world and the holier and more fanciful one of the legends. The recipes are written in a style that would encourage children and adults to cook together."

About the Author

The amazingly prolific Jane Yolen, has been called "America's Hans Christian Andersen." She is the distinguished author of over 300 books, including Fairy Tale Feasts, Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts, Owl Moon and Devil's Arithmetic. She lives on an old farm in western Massachusetts with numerous moles who do not seem to be afraid of anything. She enjoys taking walks along the river near her house and visiting people, including her editors--in fact, she wrote this book in the office of one of them.

Heidi E.Y. Stemple is a second-generation children's book author who has published more than 30 books including Counting Birds, I Am The Storm, and Not All Princesses Dress In Pink.